Norristown To Hold Smoke Detector Blitz On MLK Day

NORRISTOWN, PA — The Norristown Fire Department will hold a special "smoke detector blitz" on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in an effort to protect more homes and families from dangerous fires.

The blitz will occur on Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon on the 100 and 200 blocks of Chain Street and Pearl Street, and the 400, 500, and 600 blocks of W. Lafayette Street.

It's the seventh annual running of the "blitz" on MLK Day in Norristown.

"On this day we answer Dr. King's call to service by stepping up," Norristown Fire Chief Tom O'Donnell said.

The effort, nicknamed Operation Mariposa, was launched by Norristown Area High School teacher Kelly Epinoza after one of her students was killed in a 2016 fire.

In addition to providing smoke detectors to homes in need, firefighters will also provide educational brochures and fire safety information to help mitigate the risk of a blaze.

Editor’s note: a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Ms. Espinoza had been killed in a fire, not her student.